Several significant events in May sparked a national dialogue, from the draft majority opinion leak that showed the Supreme Court appeared poised to overturn Roe v. Wade, to the support for gun safety groups in the wake of several mass shootings, to primaries around the nation — and grassroots donors moved to take action. In May 2022, small-dollar donors made nearly 4.4 million contributions to 13,363 different campaigns and organizations. Fundraising this month has eclipsed May 2018, the last midterm election year, in contributions, total dollars, and unique donors. The total dollars raised this month also outpaced May 2020. These numbers show small-dollar donors’ sustained support of Democratic candidates, progressive organizations, and nonprofits in their communities around the country.
TOPLINE NUMBERS
| May ’18 | May ’20 | May ’22 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contributions | 1,477,225 | 5,197,081 | 4,384,784 |
| Dollars Raised | $63,464,589 | $177,900,276 | $187,999,234 |
| Average Contribution Size | $42.96 | $34.23 | $42.88 |
| Unique Donors | 715,895 | 2,252,014 | 1,793,107 |
| Unique Campaigns, Committees, and Organizations |
7,256 | 9,625 | 13,363 |
CYCLE-TO-CYCLE COMPARISON
| 2018 cycle through May ’18 | 2020 cycle through May ’20 | 2022 cycle through May ’22 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contributions | 23,928,075 | 61,854,122 | 52,062,014 |
| Dollars Raised | $821,218,347 | $1,905,847,082 | $1,948,027,378 |
| Average Contribution Size | $34.32 | $30.81 | $37.42 |
| Unique Donors | 3,380,524 | 8,722,053 | 5,667,761 |
| Unique Campaigns, Committees, and Organizations |
11,655 | 17,430 | 22,928 |
PAYMENT METHODS
| May ’18 | May ’20 | May ‘22 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| % of Contributions made via a Mobile Device | 41.1% | 55.8% | 62.2% |
| % of Contributions made with a Saved Payment Method or Digital Wallet Option | 53.3% | 65.2% | 71.0% |
